In this coursework assignment, I will be explaining how the war brought about the change by 1918. I will discuss what women did for the war effort and to what extent the attitudes improved.
Attitudes Towards Women Had Changed By 1918.
How Important Was The War In Bringing About This Change?
In this coursework assignment, I will be explaining how the war brought about the change by 1918. I will discuss what women did for the war effort and to what extent the attitudes improved.
It was the First World War that did as much as the suffragettes to persuade the government finally to give women the vote. During the war, women proved just how important they were to Britain. As more men went away to battle, more and more women were introduced to jobs, and thrust into centre stage.
A key reason for women’s rights to be improved was their work during the war effort. Many of the original volunteers came from the heavy industries like coal mining, however, there soon became a shortage of workers, and without workers, Britain couldn’t supply the army. Women began to take their places in the pits and factories. As so many men were away fighting, there was a shortage of men to do the vital jobs, and those of which were opened up to women, and were readily accepted as many saw it as an excellent opportunity to prove they were capable of doing such work. Women worked as Bus conductors, drivers, farm labourers and even mechanics, and many took up positions in munitions factories and engineering workshops, as this work was directly related to the war effort.hjhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Women worked as nurses in military hospitals – which became known as the Women’s Branch of Armed Forces. hjgjhgjhgjhgjhghjgmmkmkmkmkmkmkmkmkm
Thousands of men volunteered to fight because they imagined it would be a great opportunity for an adventure (Britain’s Expeditionary Force – group of volunteers). However by 1915 the number of casualties increased and the number of volunteers decreased, as a result, the government introduced conscription in 1916. This meant that all men at a certain age were required to fight for their country or they would be punished. Furthermore, this meant that Britain may well have lost the war if women weren’t prepared to help.ghhkjhjjj
In 1918, Millicent Fawcett said “the great searchlight of war showed things in their true light as they gave us enfranchisement with open hands.” The idea of world war one was that whilst the heroics were left to men, the role of women was to be passively patriotic, supporting the war by responsible, loyal and faithful behaviour at home, and to encourage their husbands and sons to enlist.g
The length and severity of the war demanded substitution by women in many jobs occupied by men now heavily involved with war. Women also became part of fighting forces, and in 1915, the newly set-up Ministry of Munitions was primarily aimed at enrolling women in munitions factories and by 1916, universal military conscription for men broke down due to previous prejudices concerning women taking the role of their male counterparts. hghjghjghjghjghjghjghjghjg
However, when the war ended, almost all women in the workforce were told to
